


The Date

by QueenofSchmoop



Series: Insano Dating 'verse [2]
Category: Atop the Fourth Wall, That Guy with the Glasses/Channel Awesome, The Spoony Experiment
Genre: Awkwardness, Dating, Enemies to Lovers, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2017-08-17
Packaged: 2018-12-16 14:21:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11830536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenofSchmoop/pseuds/QueenofSchmoop
Summary: The guys have their date. It goes as awkwardly as you’d think it would.





	The Date

Linkara stood outside O’Dell’s, taking deep breaths. He could do this. He was going to do this. He nodded to himself and walked in. He’d made reservations and luckily, they had a table open. He was seated and given a menu but just ordered a drink until Insano arrived. 

He sat there for what seemed like forever. Then he heard a commotion from the front of the restaurant. He looked over and groaned, putting his face in his hands. He got up and headed over.

“Sir, I am sorry but--”

“He’s with me.” Linkara said, stepping up. 

“Linkara! Tell this buffoon to take his hands off me before I use my science to turn him into strawberry jelly!”

“Insano, just relax.” He looked at the maitre d’. “Really, he’s with me.”

“What is the problem?” Insano demanded to know.

“I think it’s your…attire, Insano.” He coughed. “Not too many people come to a fancy restaurant like this in, um, scrubs and a lab coat.”

“Oh.” He looked down. “But see?” He pointed at his throat. “I’m wearing a bow tie!”

Linkara couldn’t help but smile. “Yes. Yes, you are.” He talked the maitre d’ into letting him in and they went back to the table, everyone staring. Insano didn’t seem to mind. The waiter came over. Insano asked for water.

“Mineral water or sparkling?”

Linkara could see Insano getting ready to make one of his caustic remarks so he quickly said, “sparkling!” and waved the waiter off. 

They sat there, an awkward silence between them. 

“Thank you. Again.”

“For what?” Insano asked, truly puzzled. 

“For saving Bear. I really do appreciate it.”

He waved a hand. “I’m a scientist.”

Linkara waited but it seemed that was the end of the thought. “Okay.” He played with his spoon. 

The waiter brought the water. Insano looked at it, took a small device out of his coat pocket and pointed it at the glass. It bathed it in a green light briefly, then he picked it up and sipped. 

“What was that?”

“Just a germ cleanser. Who knows where that man’s hands have been?”

Linkara was beginning to think this had been a mistake. 

“So how long have you been sleeping with a stuffed Bear? All your life, you said?” Insano’s voice carried loudly through the restaurant. 

Now he _knew_ this was a mistake. He saw the looks and slouched so low in his chair that he was almost touching the table. He hadn’t worn his trademark hat. Now he wished he had so he could pull it down over his eyes. 

“Linkara?”

“Insano, I know you said you’ve never really been out on a date before but surely you’ve at least _heard_ of dating etiquette?”

“I’m a scientist. I did some research.”

“You did?” He sat up straighter. 

“Yes. I believe I’m supposed to compliment your shoes--they are a lovely shade of brown, by the way. Then I’m supposed to pay for the meal, since I technically asked you out. After, I’m to walk or drive you home and see you to your door, giving you a chaste kiss good night.”

Linkara furrowed his brow. “Did you read a dating guide from the 50’s?”

“I believe it was from the 1960’s actually. It did say I was to do all this for a female but I figured it would translate to you.”

“…Thanks?”

“You’re welcome!” 

The waiter came back. “Are you ready to order?”

“Fool! Dr. Insano orders when he’s ready not when--”

“Could you give us a minute?” Linkara overrode him. 

“Sure.” The waiter gave them a strange look and walked away.

“Service these days!”

They opened their menus and Linkara didn’t have a very tough choice. He saw they had chicken parmesan, which he loved. He folded the menu up and put it aside. Insano seemed to be mumbling to himself, then he too put his menu aside. The waiter came back.

“I’ll have the chicken parmesan,” Linkara told him. 

“I shall have the steak and make it well done. And the baked potato, please. No butter.”

The waiter took their order and hurried off. 

They sat there in silence again. 

“How’s the science going?” Linkara asked, a bit desperately. 

Insano smiled widely and launched into a long winded explanation of the latest thing-a-ma-bob he was working on. Linkara smiled and nodded, trying not to let his eyes glaze over. He didn’t seem to be doing too good a job of it though as Insano suddenly broke off. 

“You’re not understanding a word of this, are you?”

“Sorry, no.” He confessed. “But I’m more a magic guy. You know that.”

“I do.” 

More awkward silence. 

Insano turned to look at the kitchens. “How long does food take to prepare?”

Linkara said nothing, just taking another sip of the beer he had. 

“So how is, um, what’s that annoying guy’s name again? The one you hang out with?”

“You’ll have to narrow it down.”

“The one with the atrocious fashion sense.”

“Again, need more details.”

“He says ‘dude’, a lot.”

“Ah,” Linkara nodded. “90’s Kid. What about him?”

Now Insano seemed stumped. “Why, exactly, do you hang out with him?”

“Long story short, I used to baby-sit him when I was younger. He kind of glomped onto me ever since.”

“I see.” 

More silence. It was broken when the waiter finally brought them their food. Pleased to have an excuse not to have to talk, they focused on stuffing their faces. After eating over half, Linkara felt he needed to try again. But there was short circuit in his brain somewhere apparently because what he blurted out was--

“How long have you been in love with me?”

Insano choked on the piece of steak he had just forked into his mouth. Linkara half got up, only to be waved back into his seat by the scientist. Who swallowed hard then gulped down half his water. After some time had passed, Insano asked, albeit in a raspy voice, “do you really want me to answer that?”

“No,” Linkara told him, though actually he was kind of curious. 

They went back to their food. Not talking seemed the smartest thing. When they’d finished, Linkara asked, “dessert?”

“No, I think this farce should end.”

“Farce?”

“It’s been a disaster. Or is this how a date should go? If so, why does anyone do it at all?”

“It does usually go better,” Linkara agreed. “But then, first dates are awkward.”

“Like this?”

“Not this bad,” he admitted. 

“See?” Insano drew a wallet out and dropped a wad of cash down. “I think it best we suspend this experiment here and now.”

But perhaps Linkara’s honor got the best of him. Or it could have been that he didn’t want Insano to have yet another terrible date experience. Either way he spoke up. “What about taking me home?”

“You said that was dated.”

“It is. But I think I still want it anyway. It will give the end of the date a polish.”

“That doesn’t even make sense.”

Linkara made a sad face. Insano stared at him for a long moment, then stood. “Fine! C’mon.”

They left the restaurant, not noticing several people sigh in relief as they did. It seemed Insano had teleported himself in, while Linkara had taken a cab. It was a nice night, however, so they walked. The silence between them was the most comfortable of the night. Finally, they arrived at Linkara’s house. 

“Well, here you are. I’ve walked you home. Good night.” Insano started to turn, muttering something about ‘need to build that damn time machine’. 

“No good night kiss?”

The doctor turned back around. “Seriously?”

Linkara shrugged. 

“If you insist.” Insano crowded close, reached up and cupped the comic book nerd’s face, and laid one on him. 

Linkara gasped at the passion and heat. When his lips parted, Insano used the opportunity to plunder his mouth, licking his way inside then pulling back to nip at the bottom lip. Diving back in, he pressed Linkara’s body against the door then slowly drew away. 

“We should have started with that,” Linkara said as he let the door hold him up. 

Insano blinked, surprised. “What?”

Linkara pulled the man back in by the collar of his lab coat. They kissed over and over, against the door. 

“This is fascinating,” a robotic voice suddenly said from nearby. “Human mating rituals are so interesting.”

“Pollo!” Linkara turned his head. “What the hell?”

“I was simply studying--”

“Go away!”

But Insano was straightening his lab coat. “I believe I should go now. But,” he added hopefully, “perhaps this means we can try again?”

Linkara leaned in and kissed his cheek. “You bet your sweet fanny adams we’ll be doing this again.” Licking his lips, he smiled. “Thanks for the lovely date, Insano.”

“You’re welcome?” Insano stood there as Linkara went inside, hearing the man berate his robot loudly. He stood there in stupor for a few minutes then finally thought to activate his teleportation device. As he did so, he muttered to himself, “research on second dates required.” 

 

End

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know if I should change/add to tags.


End file.
